The present invention relates to an improved printing sleeve construction.
By way of background, there are in common usage nickel printing sleeves or cylinders onto which printing plates are mounted or outer rubber printing layers are bonded, as well known in the art. The metal sleeves are between 0.005 and 0.007 inches thick and can be expanded by air pressure produced in a mandrel as they are mounted thereon. However, these metal sleeves, which are in common usage, have certain deficiencies. They crack or split easily at their ends and they crinkle easily when struck. Furthermore, workmen can be cut on their sharp ends when they are mounted and demounted from an associated mandrel. Additionally, when they have a rubber printing layer bonded thereto, the ends of the rubber printing layer may not be even with the ends of the nickel sleeve. Therefore the protruding ends of the nickel sleeve will still cut workmen when they protrude beyond the rubber layer or there can be difficulty in mounting the sleeves on an associated mandrel when the ends of the rubber printing layer extend beyond the ends of the nickel sleeve.